What We Fight For
by Eshlyn Kar
Summary: Ponyboy asked each one of his friends why they liked fighting before the rumble but he didn't ask what they were fighting for. This is what we fight for. One Shot.


Soda fought for Pony

The week before Ponyboy had been jumped by a group of Soc's. He looked like he was smarting all over. His head was bleeding pretty badly from a cut on his forehead and he had a nick just below his jaw. He was so nervous his hands were shaking and he had wiped some tears from his eyes as I came over to him. His cheek was a lived red from where the Soc's had hit him a few times to get him to settle down. It's not like I hadn't seen my brother bashed up before, it was the look in his eyes. He was scared and helpless. Then those Soc's jumped him and Johnny in the park and made them have to run away. That was by far the worst week of my life. I barely slept and when I did it was only because I had cried myself into exhaustion. I never wanted something like that to ever happen to my little brother ever again. Tonight I fought for Ponyboy, for hope that I could keep him safe.

* * *

Steve fought for hatred

I had been thirteen the first time I got jumped. Me, Soda and Ponyboy were on our way home from school. Six Socs were walking down the sidewalk towards us. There wouldn't have been a problem except when Pony tried to walk around them, he stepped into a huge puddle, which splashed onto one of the Socs. He of course thought it had been intentional and grabbed Pony and yelled at him. Soda pushed himself between the two and told the Soc to lay off. The Soc socked him in the face and I launched myself at the prick. Pony ran off to get Two-Bit who lived just down the street while Soda and I tried to hold off the Socs. They were at least four years older than us and quickly had us down. Two Socs held me down and forced me to watch, helpless, as two other Socs held Soda and one of them beat him into a pulp. The last Soc leaned over me and whispered in my ear how pathetic we were, that we were nothing but dirt, worse than trash. They ran away as Two-bit came running with Ponyboy and a bat but not before the one kicked me in the head and spat on me. I hardly recognized Soda after that; he was black and blue all over. It took him weeks to smile his smile again and get back to himself. That day I learned to hate them, for nearly breaking the most golden person I knew and for teaching me what I was in the world's eyes, trash. Tonight I fought for hatred.

* * *

Darry fought for lost chances

The Socs hadn't killed my parents but they did take away my chances of ever being truly happy. What I had never told my brothers was that I had still planned to go to college after our parent's deaths. I was all set to go with a scholarship from the College. Last minute the college called me and told me that my scholarship had been given to someone else. One of the board member's sons had been first pick for the scholarship but had decided to take a year off. Then one day he changed his mind and the scholarship was his. He didn't need the money, it was for the prestige. I was ten times more qualified than him but he got it, because he was a soc and I wasn't. Tonight I fought for my lost chance at the life I wanted and had earned.

* * *

Two-Bit fought for his sister

I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. I was on the Curtis' back porch waiting till we would go to the lot. I had run home quick before the rumble to make sure everything was cool at home. My sister, Kristen, was seventeen years old with a thirteen-month old baby. My mom worked late nights so I made sure her and her baby Ethan had gotten home okay. She wouldn't tell me who the father was but from what I heard from Sylvia, who buddied around with Kris, some Soc knocked her up but refused to take responsibility for the baby. He didn't want to disappoint his parents or his girlfriend for some greaser baby and his white trash mother. Kristen was kicked out of school and now has to work part time to keep up with the baby's needs. Because I love my nephew, I'm gonna stomp out as many mother fucking Socs as possible, hoping maybe one of them are the bastard that abandoned little Ethan. Tonight I fought for my sister and my nephew.

* * *

All of them fought for the hope of change, but all of them knew nothing would ever change. Pony would continue to be afraid of Soc's, Steve would always be a greaser and would always be trash to the world, Darry would never go to college, and Ethan would never know his father. But in that fight, in that moment of victory, all of them felt as if something had changed.


End file.
